It’s not too early and not too late to start buzzing about the most awaited event in the sports world. Hey there, American football enthusiasts! Get ready for another exhilarating 2024 NFL season, where the introduction of new strategies and players is set to add a fresh twist. Before getting into more about the event details, we must begin by putting together the following things. Are the free agents signed? Yes, check. Have the players been drafted? Yes. Has the voluntary work begun? Yes. Then, it is the actual sign that we are fast approaching the preseason of the 2024 NFL season. This 2024 NFL season is the 105th season of the National Football League, and it was scheduled to begin on September 5, 2024, when the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City will host Baltimore. The regular season will conclude on January 5, 2025, with the Super Bowl set to take place in February 2025. The league and teams will host various events, such as training camps, preseason games, and the Pro Bowl.
The National Football League is an American professional football league with 32 teams, equally divided into the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference. The NFL season begins every year in August with a three-week preseason, followed by an 18-week regular season starting in September and ending in early January, during which each team plays 17 games and has one bye week. After the conclusion of the regular season, seven teams from each conference, including four division winners and three wild card teams, advanced to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament. In February, the Super Bowl will occur between the winners of the AFC and NFC champions. This epic event was formed in 1920 in the name of the American Professional Football Association, and in 1922, it was renamed the National Football League. A trading period for the 2024 NFL league began on March 13. Clubs could contact players whose contracts had expired and had become unrestricted free agents, and contract negotiations could begin.
The NFL free agency began on March 13, 2024, and involved several high-profile players switching teams. Among the most significant moves were Jacoby Brissett leaving Washington to join New England, Kirk Cousins departing Minnesota for Atlanta, and Russell Wilson transferring from Denver to Pittsburgh. Additionally, punter Tommy Townsend moved from Kansas City to Houston, defensive back Kevin Byard relocated from Philadelphia to Chicago, and Jamal Adams switched from Seattle to Tennessee. Running backs Saquon Barkley, Austin Ekeler, and Ezekiel Elliott also changed teams, moving from the New York Giants to Philadelphia, the Los Angeles Chargers to Washington, and New England to Dallas, respectively. Notable trades included New England sending QB Mac Jones to Jacksonville in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick and Cincinnati trading RB Joe Mixon to Houston for a 2024 seventh-round pick. Kansas City traded CB L’Jarius Sneed and a 2024 seventh-round pick to Tennessee for a 2024 seventh-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick. The 2024 NFL draft was held at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in Detroit, Michigan, from April 25-27. Finally, the first overall pick was obtained by Chicago through a trade with Carolina, who had the worst record in the league in 2023. Chicago used this selection to draft USC quarterback Caleb Williams.
Highlights of the 2024 NFL season
The 2024 NFL season is set to feature a series of exciting events, including:
- NFL Kickoff Game: The 2024 NFL season will begin on September 5, 2024, with Baltimore defending Super Bowl LVIII champion Kansas City.
- NFL International Series: The 2024 NFL schedule includes five International Series games, including the first NFL regular season game in South America, three games in London, and the fifth game in Munich, Germany.
- Thanksgiving: Kansas City, Green Bay, and Las Vegas are set to host Thanksgiving Day games, including a traditional doubleheader and a primetime game.
- Christmas: On Christmas Day, the league will host its first Wednesday Christmas games, with two scheduled matches: Kansas City at Pittsburgh and Baltimore at Houston.
2024 NFL Rule Changes
Here is the list of complete 2024 NFL rule changes.
- If either of the coaches’ first two replay challenges proves successful, they issue a third one.
- Even if the foul occurred before the change of possession and the defense also committed a penalty during the play, the offense may still be penalized for a significant foul if it results in an interception or a fumble loss.
- A decision that a quarterback was down or out of bounds before completing a pass can now be reversed through replay.
- Using replay, You can now check if the game clock ran out before the ball was snapped.
- It is disallowed to hip-drop tackle.
- The kickoff rules now call for a low-impact kick akin to the one utilized in the NFL.
- In the postseason, teams can now designate infinite players for return transactions.
- The trade deadline is now on Tuesday, following the games in Week 9.
- On the final roster cutdown day, each club may select up to two players for return if placed on injured reserve.
- A legitimate quarterback may be promoted to the active list as a backup quarterback by a team an infinite number of times.
- Teams must notify their opponent that an injured player will not be traveling to an away game before the team leaves for the road.
- In anticipation of a full rollout for the 2025 season, the league will increase the usage of Hawk-Eye video technology in the coaches’ booths during the 2024 preseason.
Key 2024 NFL Schedule Dates
Preseason
Event | Date |
2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game | August 1, 2024 |
Week 1 | August 8-11, 2024 |
Week 2 | August 15, 17, and 18, 2024 |
Week 3 | August 22-25, 2024 |
Regular Season
Event | Date |
Opening Night: Chiefs vs. Ravens | September 5, 2024 |
Week 1 | September 5-9, 2024 |
NFL International Game: São Paulo | September 6, 2024 |
NFL International Games: London | October 6, 13, and 20, 2024 |
NFL International Game: Germany | November 10, 2024 |
NFL Thanksgiving Games | November 28, 2024 |
NFL Black Friday | November 29, 2024 |
NFL Christmas Games | December 25, 2024 |
Postseason
Event | Date |
NFL Super Wild Card Weekend | January 11-13, 2025 |
NFL Divisional Playoffs | January 18-19, 2025 |
Conference Championship Games | January 26, 2025 |
Pro Bowl Games | TBD (Likely February 2, 2025) |
Super Bowl 59 | February 9, 2025 |
Where to Watch the 2024 NFL Season?
During the 2024 NFL season, fans can catch the action on TV channels like ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, and the NFL Network.
Fans can also follow the games live on various streaming platforms such as Prime Video, Peacock, ESPN+, Paramount+, and NFL+.
With these options, viewers can enjoy the flexibility of watching their favorite teams on multiple devices, ensuring they never miss a moment of the action.
Predictions
Miami Dolphins vs Buffalo Bills
In this NFL Season, the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills will play their week two game on September 13, 2024, at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens).
Past Gameplays:
In the first game of the NFL Season, the Miami Dolphins scored a huge win against their opponent, Jacksonville Jaguars, and stood in the lead from their rival teams. In the past three preseason games, the Dolphins played well with their opponents and held a record of 2 wins and 1 loss. In the last game loss, fans feared it would affect the upcoming season’s start game with the Jaguars, but fortunately, the Dolphins proved their strength and won against them 20-17. Looking briefly at the previous game, Jason Sanders and his teammates played well and scored continuously in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters. After witnessing his excellent way of defeating his opponents, fans expect a much better game from him in this game against the Buffalo Bills.
Looking over the other team, the Buffalo Bills prepared to play their second-week game against the Miami Dolphins. The Bills tried some new tactics in the preseason and performed against their opponent. Even in the losing game, the Bills never lost their hope and tried to tie up against them with team effort and balanced game performance. After the end of preseason, the Buffalo Bills played their first season game with the Arizona Cardinals and won the match with a huge struggle of 34-28. Fans had a nail-biting match in the previous game and expected an intense, thrilling game from the Bills as they faced the Miami Dolphins, the rising team. Comparing both teams’ last game performance and the player’s stats, the Miami Dolphins have a high chance of winning this match against the Buffalo Bills.
Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers
On September 15, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis), the San Francisco 49ers are on the road to face the Minnesota Vikings in this second week of the NFL Season game.
Past Gameplays:
Minnesota Vikings are ready to play their second-week game against the San Francisco 49ers this weekend. In this new preseason and the first game of the NFL season, the Vikings performed excellently with well-placed, coordinated gameplay. They succeeded in the end by holding four continuous wins without any losses. In the last three games in the preseason, the Vikings faced some strong opponents, and the game was close to ending in a tie, but the Vikings turned the tides with their team strength and won without any flaws. In the previous game against the New York Giants, the Vikings dominated their opponent on the ground, made a great opening game in this NFL season, and won with a score of 6-28. Fans expect another great game from the Vikings in this upcoming match against the 49ers.
In Contrast, the San Francisco 49ers had an average game record in their past preseason and the first opening game. In the past three games in NFL preseason, the 49ers hold 1 win, 1 loss, and 1 tie against their opponent. While their performance has not been bad like other teams, they faced loss due to their leisure gameplay on the ground and failed to catch up to their points. But in their later matches, the 49ers are improving gradually and trying to win against their opponent. The result was shown in the first NFL Season game against the New York Jets, as they won with a score of 32-19 and dominated their opponent with incredible game tactics. Still, with their current strength and lack of coordination, defeating the Minnesota Vikings will be tough unless the San Francisco 49ers face bold and change tactics.
Dallas Cowboys vs New Orleans Saints
Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints are ready to clash this NFL season weekend and created huge expectations among fans. This game will start on September 15, 2024, at AT&T Stadium (Arlington).
Past Gameplays:
The Dallas Cowboys stood serious in their first game and defeated the Cleveland Browns in a score difference of high points. For a 17-33 score, the Cowboys overshadowed the Browns and won the first-week game without any hesitation in their gameplay. In their past three preseason games, the Cowboys held an average game record with 1 win and 2 losses against their opponent. Still, looking through their game, the Cowboys had a close call against their opponent in losing. It shows their potential and talent to learn new tactics in offense and defense and overcome the trail on the ground to achieve victory. Brandon Aubrey is one of the key players who shined in the previous game with his excellent scoring talent.
Like the Dallas Cowboys, the New Orleans Saints hold the preseason record with 1 win and 2 losses. In the starting seasonal game, the Saints completely dominated their opponent and won with a high point score. The Saints played in their home against the Carolina Panthers in their first-week game and won by 47-10. Blake Grupe is an incredible player who never let the spotlight on his other teammates by scoring in all four quarters. He never missed his chance to support his team and also scored well, which created high expectations for him among fans in this upcoming game against the Dallas Cowboys. Both teams stand equal in their past performance result, but the New Orleans Saints have a high chance of claiming the win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Detroit Lions vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
While both teams hold a winning streak, fans are curious about this match between Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the game will start on September 15, 2024, at Ford Field (Detroit).
Past Gameplays:
After facing the defeat in the first preseason game, the Detroit Lions didn’t lose their faith and started to win against their opponents. After finishing the three preseason games, the Detroit Lions had their first NFL season week 1 game against the Los Angeles Rams on September 9. The game was intense between both teams, as the players were never interested in losing against their opponent. At the end of the 4th quarter, the game closed between the Lions and the Rams with a tie of 20-20. Then, with the overtime in the game, the Lions won the match with David Montgomery’s incredible touchdown run. The Lions will face the Buccaneers this weekend without losing their win streak.
And Tampa Bay Buccaneers are preparing to face Detroit Lions do not lose their current two-win streak on the bag. In the past preseason games, the Buccaneers had a record of 2 wins and 1 loss. In the first week game against Washington Commanders, the Buccaneers won against their opponent 37-20. The notable player who performed well in the previous game and led the team to win is Chase McLaughlin. He did his best in the match against the Commanders and scored in all four quarters without losing against the opponents’ defense. Still, the Buccaneers are trying to improve their team coordination in matches and win against their opponent without any mistakes, and fans expect a great clash in the upcoming game against the Lions. Ultimately, the Detroit Lions have a high chance of winning this game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Houston Texans vs Chicago Bears
Two strong teams, the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears, will face their second week match of the NFL season on September 16, 2024, at NRG Stadium (Houston).
Past Gameplays:
Houston Texans had quite a great start in their preseason and won three out of four games. In the first game against the Chicago Bears, the Texans lost 21-17, but in the next three preseason games, the Texans won without any trouble. In the first game of the NFL Season against the Indianapolis Colts, the Texans won and held the lead against their rivals in the division. But fans are more excited about this second-week game against the Chicago Bears than any other clash. The Texans faced the Bears in their first preseason game and lost against them. This match will be a rematch to beat them down and extend the Texans’ win streak.
The Chicago Bears also held a great game in this NFL preseason, with four games and the first-week game in the previous match. Bears are one of the well-performing teams in the NFL, and the four preseason games were great practices for them to show their potential and test the new tactics. As they performed well, the Bears proved their strength and won four games. In the first week of the game against the Tennessee Titans, without any struggle, they dominated the opponent and won 24-17. In the previous game, the Bears held out quiet in the first quarter without scoring a point, but with Cairo Santos’ support, the Bears won against the opponent by scoring high in the next three quarters. Now, fans expect a similar, well-playing game from him against the Texans. The Chicago Bears have already defeated the Houston Texans in a preseason game, and beating them again will not be tough for the Bears, given their best offensive team.
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